These days, celebrities don’t so much “come out” as they casually drop mentions into interviews about other topics. That was the case with “Parks and Recreation” actress Aubrey Plaza’s recent interview with The Advocate, in which mention of her own sexuality comes up as if by accident at the end of an already, well, gay conversation.
When the interviewer asks if Plaza’s been hit on by women, she replies:
Oh, yeah. I don’t mind. I know I have an androgynous thing going on, and there’s something masculine about my energy. Girls are into me — that’s no secret. Hey, I’m into them too. I fall in love with girls and guys. I can’t help it.
The revelation, and it’s casual nature, should come as little surprise, given Plaza’s lesbian roles and strong connection to the LGBTQ community. Her sister is a lesbian, her best friend is a gay man, and she grew up with a gay aunt and a gay uncle, immersed in a theater scene full of queer folks. She’s also tight with Natasha Lyonne—who is straight but has played numerous queer characters, including in But I’m a Cheerleader and “Orange is the New Black”—and, like many women, has a bit of a crush on the actress.
“[Playing a lesbian in Addicted to Fresno] was less about pretending to be a lesbian and more about portraying a human being with a massive crush on Natasha Lyonne’s character,” she told The Advocate. “Natasha’s a friend, and she called me up, like, ‘Do you want to come do a movie and make out with me?’ I have a major crush on her in real life, so it was fun.”
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But beyond her openness in falling in love, Plaza also feels a sense of connection with older gay men.
“I feel like I operate in an old-school way that only gays truly understand. So for me it’s the ultimate compliment. My tastes are like an older gay man’s, and I think that’s who I really am,” she explained. “Like, I grew up obsessed with Judy Garland, and I was also obsessed with how much she meant to her following.”
Now, if only someone could persuade Plaza to recreate Garland’s classic scene from Good Old Summertime.
